BOONE—ROTC cadets from Appalachian State University took top honors at the third annual Mountain Man Memorial March held in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

A five-member team consisting of Spencer McKinney, Mitchell Joslin, Steven Moy, Mike Hoffman and Sam Wellborn won first place in the team military heavy full marathon, finishing in six hours and 55 minutes. The military heavy category is run in uniform with a 35-pound rucksack or military-style backpack. The team won the march’s Walkup Cup Trophy and a $1,000 prize, which was donated to the Wounded Warrior Foundation.

More than 330 individuals participated in this year’s competition.

The march is hosted by the University of Tennessee’s Department of Military Science and honors the late Lt. Frank B. Walkup IV, a UT alumnus who was killed in Iraq in 2007.

Participants entered one of three categories: military heavy, military light, or civilian. They then choose to run a full, half or quarter marathon. They can compete as a team or an individual in the military heavy and military light divisions. The military light category is also run in uniform with a load-bearing vest but no rucksack. Winners from individual categories and the team military light half marathon received medallions.

Lt. Col Haimes Kilgore, chair of Appalachian’s Department of Military Science and Leadership, sponsored the team with support from G.A. Sywassick, a member of Appalachian’s Board of Trustees. The 2010 team was advised and coached by Master Sgt. Karl Arbogast, and were trained by ROTC cadets Spencer McKinney and Amanda Young.